Age Verification for Purchasing Vapes in the UK
To comply with UK law, Vaporium Café implements a robust age verification system to ensure that vape products are only sold to individuals over the age of 18. Age verification is a legal requirement, designed to protect minors and prevent underage access to nicotine products. Below, we provide a comprehensive guide on how this process works and why it is essential.
Why Age Verification is Required
Since 2015, it has been illegal to sell vaping products to anyone under the age of 18 in the UK. Both in-store and online retailers must enforce strict age verification measures. In physical stores, this is typically managed by staff using a Challenge 25 policy. However, when selling online, where we cannot see the customer face-to-face, digital age verification becomes essential. This process ensures that all customers purchasing from us are legally eligible.
Key points:
- UK Law Compliance: It is illegal to sell vape products to those under 18.
- Regulatory Bodies: The law is enforced by Trading Standards and the Department of Health & Social Care.
How Does Age Verification Work at Vaporium Café?
At Vaporium Café, we use a third-party digital age verification system to automatically verify the age of our customers. This process is designed to be smooth and unobtrusive, allowing 85-90% of customers to be verified without any additional steps.
1. Automatic Digital Age Verification
- When you place your first order, we will verify your name, date of birth, and billing address using an external age verification provider like Experian or 1Account.
- The system matches your provided details against official data sources, including:
- UK Electoral Roll
- Credit Records (soft check, no impact on your credit score)
- Mobile Number Records
- This seamless process runs in the background, and most customers will not need to provide any further information.
2. Flagging Your Account for Future Purchases
Once your age is verified, your Vaporium Café account will be flagged as Age Verified. This means that you will not have to go through the age verification process again for future purchases, unless you change your personal details (e.g., address or name).
What Happens If My Age Cannot Be Verified Automatically?
There are certain situations where automatic age verification may not be possible. These instances may include:
- Recently moving house and not yet being on the electoral register.
- Having recently changed your name (e.g., due to marriage) and the official records have not been updated.
- Inputting incomplete information (e.g., using “Ben” instead of “Benjamin”).
In such cases, we offer an easy alternative:
1. Manual Age Verification Process
If the digital system cannot verify your age automatically, we will request you to provide a valid photo ID. This process is similar to what you would experience in a supermarket or bar when asked to show ID.
2. Secure Online Verification
- We will send you a secure link where you can upload a photo of an official ID (passport, driving license, etc.) along with a selfie to confirm that the ID belongs to you.
- This process is straightforward, and can be completed using any device with a camera, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
- Once your ID is confirmed, your order will be processed, and your account will be flagged as Age Verified.
Why Is Age Verification Important?
Age verification is crucial for multiple reasons, beyond just meeting legal obligations:
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Protecting Minors: Vaping products contain nicotine and are designed as an alternative for adult smokers. These products are not suitable for minors or non-smokers, as nicotine is an addictive substance.
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Preventing Youth Uptake: In countries like the US, poor regulation and targeted marketing toward youth have resulted in a high uptake of vaping among minors. This led to restrictive laws such as flavour bans and online sales restrictions, which have negatively impacted adult smokers who rely on vaping as a safer alternative. We do not want a similar scenario to unfold in the UK.
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Health Considerations: Public Health England states that vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking combustible tobacco. Therefore, we are committed to ensuring vaping remains a safer, adult-only alternative to smoking, helping current smokers transition away from cigarettes.
Does Age Verification Cost Me Anything?
No, age verification does not cost you, the customer, anything. It is a legal requirement that we, as a retailer, are responsible for. The verification process occurs in the background, and in most cases, requires no additional action from you. If additional information is required, the process is still free, quick, and secure.
Security and Privacy
We understand that customers may have concerns about their privacy and the safety of their personal information. At Vaporium Café, we prioritize your data protection by following strict guidelines:
- Data Privacy: Your personal information is protected and securely encrypted. We fully comply with GDPR regulations.
- Minimal Data Collection: We only collect the necessary information required for age verification and do not store ID documents after the verification process is complete.
- Soft Credit Checks: If a credit check is required, it will be a soft check, meaning it has no impact on your credit score.
Challenge 25 for In-Store Purchases
For those visiting our physical store, we employ the Challenge 25 policy. This means if you look younger than 25, our staff will ask for proof of age. Accepted forms of ID include:
- Passport
- Driving License
- Government-approved ID cards
Conclusion
Age verification is not only a legal requirement but also an important step in ensuring that vaping products remain accessible only to those who need them—adult smokers looking for a safer alternative to combustible tobacco. Vaporium Café is committed to protecting young individuals and promoting responsible vaping. If you have any questions about age verification or need assistance with the process, please contact our customer service team.